Savory Chickpea Nettle Pancakes / Vegan, Gluten-Free

Dig into pancakes for dinner! These savory chickpea nettle pancakes are made with protein-rich chickpea flour and nutritious stinging nettles. They are fluffy, flavorful, and filling. Topped with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado, you’ll want to eat pancakes every night!

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When my youngest 2 daughters were still in grade school, we went on this crazy pancake kick and made pancakes every morning. We had the timing down to a science. It became a matter of pride to have all three of us in our cozy (aka small) kitchen, prepping like clockwork, so we could get out the door for school on time, with a full belly and no burns. This ritual went on for a few months. Sometimes we would even make pancakes for dinner which lovingly was coined “brinner” (breakfast + dinner, obvs). Our kids are all grown up now, but Todd and I still enjoy the simple pleasure of pancakes for dinner. So, I’m super excited to share what’s been on our plates this spring; savory chickpea pancakes…with nettles!

Yup! These gluten-free pancakes are savory, make from chickpea flour with a generous addition of blanched stinging nettles. Chickpea pancakes are a lot like my socca bread recipe which is equal parts chickpea flour and water, mixed with herbs, and cooked or baked like a pancake. The difference here is that, unlike socca, these savory pancakes are fluffy. Like, stack ‘em high fluffy. And that, my friends, comes down to one simple trick, vegan buttermilk.

How do you make savory pancakes fluffy?

Chickpea flour is dense and can taste heavy without a little help but is my first choice for savory pancakes. It’s high in protein, gluten-free, and very filling. I tested this recipe with plain soy milk, plain almond milk, then almond milk mixed with lemon juice, and finally almond milk mixed with apple cider vinegar (acv). My last test made the fluffiest pancakes. To make vegan buttermilk, mix almond milk with acv and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. You’ll see it start to curdle. When mixed into the dry ingredients, the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder, creating wee air pockets which poof up the batter and result in fluffy pancakes. (See recipe for amounts.)

How do you make nettles safe for eating?

It’s actually super simple to make stinging nettles safe for eating. You’ll thank yourself once you’ve tried it because nettles are heavenly. To deactivate the stingers, blanch the leaves and tender stems by plunging them in rapidly boiling salted water for 60 seconds. Then drain in a colander and run some cold water over them. I’ve ditched the ice bath that follows blanching to save time and another bowl because cold water works just as well. Gather the nettles, which are now safe to touch, in your hands and squeeze all the excess water out of them. The water will be a surprising shade of dark green or purple. Form the nettles into a ball which you can use right away or wrap them in plastic and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I’ve got a whole blog post on foraging for and cooking stinging nettles which you can read here.

A word of caution: Do NOT eat stinging nettles raw. They will sting your skin and the inside of your mouth. The stingers must be deactivated before eating.

Serving suggestions:

Customize the toppings to your heart’s delight just like with sweet pancakes! I like to pair a creamy topping with some texture. Here’s what I’ve found flavorful and inviting.

Vegan sour cream
Guacamole
Classic hummus or White Bean Sorrel Hummus
Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Avocado slices
Chunky salsa (Todd loves this!)
Serve with this simple Tofu Scramble and/or Maple Tempeh Bacon!

These savory pancakes have all the good feels of breakfast pancakes with all the nutrition you want for dinner, they’re:

Protein-rich
Gluten-free
Filling
Savory
Fluffy
Nutrient-Dense
Vegan
Flavorful

“Brinner” has been a well-loved meal in our household ever since that crazy pancake kick because who doesn’t love breakfast all day long?!

Keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions with photos!

Ingredients for Savory Chickpea Nettle Pancakes

Makes (8) 4” pancakes (¼ cup of batter for each pancake)

3 packed cups (45 g) of stinging nettles, blanched, squeezed dry, and finely chopped (click here for instructions)
1¼ cups (296 ml) of unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1¼ cups (150 g) chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons of coconut sugar
1½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
¼ teaspoon of turmeric (optional for color)
A few twists of black pepper to taste

How to make Savory Chickpea Nettle Pancakes

1. Preheat a large cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles on the skillet, it’s ready for a light coating of oil. You want the pan hot but not smoking hot. Alternatively, use a non-stick frying pan for oil-free.

2. Grab a 4-quart pot and fill it with 2 quarts of water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Blanch the stinging nettles by plunging them in the rapidly boiling water for 60 seconds only. (Use gloved hands and tongs to handle them!) This deactivates the stingers and makes them safe for eating. Drain the nettles in a colander and rinse them in cold water. (You can also plunge them into an ice bath, but I find cold water does the trick.) Gather the nettles in your hands and squeeze out all the extra water by forming them into a tidy round ball. Finely chop them. You can read all about making nettles safe for eating in this blog post here.

3. It’s time to make the buttermilk. In a small bowl or measuring pitcher, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar, give it a good stir, and set it aside to curdle while you mix your dry ingredients.

4. Whisk the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, optional turmeric, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

making savory chickpea nettle pancakes batter

5. Give the buttermilk another stir and pour it over the dry ingredients. Whisk it into a smooth batter. There’s no gluten here so take the time you need to mix thoroughly. Taste for saltiness and add more if needed.

6. Sprinkle in the nettles and stir to combine.

savory chickpea nettle pancakes on a skillet

7. Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto the hot skillet, forming a circle. A large skillet will hold 4 pancakes. Cook for 4 minutes or until it looks dry on the top and golden on the bottom. You can peek under the pancake to see if it’s golden by lifting the edge with a spatula. Flip the pancakes over and cook the other side for 4 minutes as well. Repeat this once more with the rest of the batter. (See note)

8. Hold on a warm plate until ready to serve. Garnish with your choice of toppings and dig in!

Notes:

1. To create perfectly round pancakes, I used 4” silicone pancake rings. But really you can pour the batter onto the skillet and let the shape evolve how it pleases. Both will taste equally delish. Just be sure to space the pancakes out so they don’t play bumper cars!

2. Feel free to swap out the nettles for the same amount of blanched kale leaves, finely chopped, or 1 large handful of chopped fresh spinach. Or, skip the greens altogether.

3. Toppings. These pancakes pair well with a creamy topping such as sour cream, guacamole, or hummus. I really enjoy juicy cherry tomato halves on top too. Todd loves dipping his pancakes in salsa for a spicy kick!

Storage:

These pancakes are best eaten hot off the griddle. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge so they don’t dry out. Reheat in the microwave for soft pancakes or in the toaster for a crispy exterior.

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing about your creations! For more yummy vegan recipes, you can follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Tiktok. I also send out a weekly newsletter with my latest recipes and upcoming cooking classes. Subscribe here and receive a FREE e-cookbook!

Savory Chickpea Nettle Pancakes